The Carlton Tavern was the only building in its street not destroyed during the blitz and was considered an important historical building.

But without warning developers brought in bulldozers earlier this month and had it razed to the ground.

Patsy Lord, the landlady, had been told by the owners on Easter Monday to close for an "inventory" and was stunned when she came back two days later to find the 94-year-old pub in Maida Vale, west London, was no longer standing.

Danny John-Jules said: "The pub looked like it would serve for another 100 years"